Nitrates in Urine mean UTI?

[Indy]

I just had a dip stick done and they found nitrates and send my urine off for a culture. In the past, I have had this without an infection due to a bad flare. The big decision is to take an antibiotic now without the culture back for 2-3 days or to wait it out and maybe get a worse infection.

Any ideas?

[vm]

Boy, I don't know... I was thinking nitrates was one of the things the dipstick looked for in terms of predicting infection - but I don't know for sure. Are you prone to infections? What was the doctor's suggestion?

[ICNDonna]

If I'm showing signs of infection, my uro usually puts me on an antibiotic while waiting for the culture results --- then if a change is needed, he can change the order.

Donna

[Daniel]

I had nitrites and white blood cells in my urine last week. I've been on cipro since Thursday and I feel SO much better...it has lead me to question my actual diagnosis of IC.

[Indy]

I have had both white blood cells and nitrates before in a dip stick and turned up negative in the culture. It can happen during a flare. I'm not to anxious to take more antibiotics if I don't need to so I think I'll wait 3 more days if I can stand it.

[anxious one]

what is Nitrate? I have had white cells nad blood in dipstick test before and grown no bateria. I am in similar position- I had culture taken yesterday- dipstick showed white cells and blood and dr had put me on antibiotics while waiting for culture results. Trouble is, if you don't know for sure you have an infection, antibiotics make it worse (for me anyway.) I am flaring like heck right now and I just rang dr and culture still not back :(

sara